The invention generally resides in the field of large vehicles having extended flat roofs, such as trucks, trailers and buses, for clearing of snow and ice deposits therefrom. The roof tops of trailers, vans, trucks, buses and the like represent a relatively large area. In cold climates, owners of such vehicles face the challenge of removing snow and ice from roof tops of such vehicles prior to operating them on roadways. The snow and ice removal operation is usually performed manually by several workers shoveling from atop the vehicle roof tops. The operation is both tedious and time consuming. It is associated with relatively high maintenance costs particularly during significant snowfalls occurring in a given period with a large fleet of vehicles that must be cleaned. The cleaning operation can be time consuming which may lead to delays in the delivery of goods with the associated potential of loss of business.
The removal of snow and ice from the roof tops of vehicles is not only costly but also potentially dangerous for the individuals who must stand on the slippery roof tops of such vehicles which can reach a height of twelve to fifteen feet. Further, in circumstances where the snow and/or ice is not removed from the roof tops of such vehicles, a slab of snow or ice may fly off the vehicle while being operated and strike another vehicle following behind. If such an incident occurs, the driver of the vehicle following may be startled to the point of losing control of his or her vehicle. The slab of snow or ice may also impact a windshield with such force so as to break it leading to disastrous consequences. Consequently, some regional laws recognize that snow and ice atop vehicles pose a threat to the public safety and require that snow and ice be removed from the vehicle before it is driven on a public road imposing large penalties on offenders.
The need for alternative methods of removing snow and ice from a vehicle's roof top has been recognized in a number of earlier publications. For example, some devices include rollers for scraping the snow from the vehicle roof with a height adjustment by use of a hydraulic circuit or by having the vehicle move under a snow plow arrangement with the entire structure secured to the ground. Other devices disclose snow removal systems which dispense de-icer fluid to melt the snow combined with a cross-bar that can be raised and lowered.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,500 [Schmitt] entitled “Vehicle Roof Snow Removal System” discloses a blade system riding atop the roof of a trailer where the blade is vertically adjustable using pulley systems in each of two towers straddling the vehicle path. In addition, the blade has a “squeegee” along its lower edge to protect the trailer roof from gouging, etc. Schmitt describes a sensor to detect the vehicle height and a control unit to lower the scraper blade when a vehicle is detected. Schmitt also describes a manual handle for raising and lowering the scraper blade through a series of pulleys and cables. However, Schmitt does not suggest a hydraulically positioned vehicle roof surface plow system for maintaining maximum contact with the roof surface as the vehicle is moved through the cleaning apparatus or structural members to provide a more stable plow blade and control surfaces for throwing snow outward and downward from the plow blade.
A second example of a vehicle roof plow device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,654 [Yeaglin] entitled “Snow and Ice Remover for Vehicle Roofs” which describes a vertically adjustable plow bar suspended from a winch located on a bridge spanning between two towers that uses each of the towers as a guide for raising and lowering the device. There is a protective strip along the entire horizontal length of the plow blade and the reinforcing bar between the towers. Yeaglin, again, does not disclose a hydraulically adjustable vehicle roofline follower system or control surfaces for throwing the snow and ice outward and downward.
There are three U.S. Patent Application Publications describing substantially similar vehicle roof clearing concepts. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. US 2007/0074357 A1, US 2009/0282630 A1 and US 2009/0282708 A1 [Reed] all entitled “Truck Terminal Snow Screed Portable Structure” describe a rearward lateral reinforcing structure of the plow blade. Reed also states that the apparatus is relocatable utilizing a pair of lift trucks operating in tandem to move and relocate the apparatus. The only adjustable element is the vertical height of the blade without any rooftop following apparatus. Also, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0166265 A1 entitled “Truck, Trailer and Bus Plow” [Shaw] discloses a device similar to the Reed apparatus, but does not disclose a portability feature by use of separate equipment like the Reed apparatus.
There are several deficiencies found in the various apparatus existing in the field. First, these apparatus do not contain elements to raise or lower tower height to primarily make the snow clearing apparatus truly portable with a lower vertical clearance, and secondarily, to accommodate vehicles of different heights, nor do they suggest it. Next, these existing devices do not describe or suggest the use of a hydraulically positioned vehicle roof surface plow system for maintaining contact with the roof top surface for better snow clearing performance. Finally, these prior devices do not describe or suggest the use of a plurality of structural instrumentalities to provide a more stable plow blade to prevent roof gouging or alignment mishaps.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for removing snow and ice from the roof top of vehicles which is portable. It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for removing snow and ice from the roof top of vehicles which has a height adjustable scraper or plow blade.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing snow and ice from the roof top of vehicles which has wheels that greatly adds to the alignment and stability of the device, preventing damage to the top of the vehicle, and has the ability to bounce on the roof top in order to break up compacted snow or ice for easy removal. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice removing device from the roof top of vehicles that has a gross adjustment capability for the tower height.
Further still, another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing snow and ice from the roof top of vehicles which uses a hydraulic system for maintaining the plow blade against the roof top surface while at the same time pushing off the snow from the roof top. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing snow and ice from the roof top of vehicles that has a rolled rubber end on the plow blade that is sufficiently rigid to assist in the removal of the snow and ice, yet does not present a sharp surface that could damage the roof top of a vehicle.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved portable apparatus for removing snow and ice from the roof top of vehicles that is vertically adjustable to accommodate differing height vehicles and controlled to follow the roofline of a vehicle by hydraulics such that the blade remains in substantial contact with the roof and has control surfaces for throwing snow outward and downward from the plow blade.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.